Monday, 12 November 2012

Peter Pan

If Peter Pan came knocking at your window one night and asked you to come to NeverLand with him, what would you do or say?

If Peter Pan came to my window one night and asked me to to come to NeverLand, my first reaction would be to freak out silently in excitement. This is a small story about what I would do.

I lay awake in bed, wondering if all my dreams, childhood ones, too would disappear when I became fourteen. I didn't want to grow up, and so every night I dreamed the impossible, that Peter Pan, the boy of my dreams, would come and ask me to come away with him to NeverLand.

The moon was full, bathing my room in a silvery light. I was about to close my eyes when I heard a tapping at my window. Three sharp taps. It couldn't be. I was just imagining it. Yet I decided to have a look. I opened my small window and peered out.
"Look up," said a whispering voice. I did so, and was about to scream when a hand of flesh and blood clamped over my mouth. "Shhh! Let me in and I'll explain." I nodded, and the hand was taken off. I stepped back from the windowsill just in time to see a small ball of light dart inside, accompanied by a burst of sweet, melodic bell chimes. "Shush, Tink." I spun around to find myself looking at a dark figure, standing boldly, legs shoulder width apart, hands on hips. The figure advanced into the moonlight. I saw it was a young boy, about the same age as me. But he was no normal boy. His face was sunburned, his hair a tousled mass of red hair, and he wore tattered island rags, with a short dagger at his waist.Could it possibly be? I thought. Out loud I said, "Peter? Peter Pan?"
"Yes, but- how do you know?"I gestured at my bookshelf. "I don't see," he said.
"Look," I switched on my desk lamp and took out the books Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, Peter and the Sword of Mercy, and Peter Pan and Wendy ; By J.M.Barrie.
"I can't exactly read," he said.
"These books are all about you." I looked at my copy of Peter Pan and Wendy. "The number of times I wished to replace Wendy in this book." I sat down on my bed next to him. "You're famous, Peter, famous. You're known worldwide as the boy who lives in NeverLand, and the flying Boy that never grew up."
"Then why don't they call me? I want to be famous."
"It's not that simple, Peter."
"Why not?" he demanded.
"For several reasons. Mollusk island, or NeverLand, was removed from our world by a Starcatcher and put into a parallel universe. We can't access it. This is one of your famous phrases in the book Peter Pan and Wendy, 'Second star to the right and straight on t'ill morning.' We can't fly like you can, Peter. The truth is, everyone on this planet thinks you're an idol, maybe, but they think you're a fictional character. That you were made up by this author J.M.Barrie, and you're not real. People don't believe in magic. At least, most people don't."
"Then how come I came to you?"
"I believe, Peter. I believed in you. I dreamed every night about you, that you would come and give me an adventure. You were not just a character in my life, Peter. You were the boy of my dreams."
"I was?" Peter exclaimed incredulously.
"Shhh! Not so loud! You don't want to wake anyone up!"
"Right. Sorry." A chime came, and the golden light sitting on top of Peter's head had turned a shade of orange.
"I don't want to know the meaning of that," I said, grinning.
"No, you don't" he answered, returning the grin. Then his expression turned serious. "I have to go now. Alone. Unless you want to come with me."
"C- come with you?" I asked, dumbstruck.
"Well, I understand if you don't want to."
"Of course I want to! All my life I've been waiting and hoping for this moment! You can't possibly think I'm going to let your offer slip through my fingers!" He smiled, his face aglow with happiness, whilst Tinkerbell, still nestled in his hair, turned an even deeper shade of crimson.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Come." He was already hovering several feet off the floor.
"Hang on. I must leave a message." I sighed. "Although everyone is just going to think this is absurd and that I've been kidnapped. Anyway..." I wrote a neat note on a sheet of paper, which I left lying there. Peter Pan's taken me away to Neverland. Believe me. It's true. I'll visit when I can. Love you.

"Oh yes, and I must pack."I grabbed a large purple backpack, put all of my Peter Pan books in it, and a few other novels, as well as a torch, my penknife, and clean clothing. Turning to Peter, I said happily, "Alright. I'm all set."

"Let's go." Hoisting my heavy pack on my shoulders, I stepped up on the windowsill next to Peter. He took his hand in mine. Then, reaching into his hair, he took a complaining Tinkerbell out of it and shook her over me. A shimmering golden substance washed over me, melting away as it touched me. I felt like the happiest and most lucky person alive.
Peter flew out, and gripping my hand tighter, gestured for me to lean forwards. Instantly I felt myself rise off the ground. "Oh, Peter! This is amazing!" I flew out to join him, and he began to teach me how to fly. We quickly gained altitude, but it did not get more difficult to breathe. However, It was slightly foggier and windier.

After about an hour of flying, Peter shouted, "Hang on to my hand! And make sure you hang on tight! Really tight!" I did as instructed, and suddenly we were soaring, faster than the wind. Then, out of nowhere, came a burst of brilliant golden light. I felt my body jerk forwards, and then everything was still.

We were looking down at an Island who's highest peak was a volcano. The whole of it was covered in lush greenery, except for a few bare patches here and here. It was rimmed by a thick line of white sand. The water around it was a light turquoise, that gradually got darker as you went further away from land. On one side of the island lay a light- blue lagoon, that shimmered in a thousand colors with the sun. This was it. NeverLand.

"How long are you going to stay?" Peter's voice launched me out of my trance. A loud burst of chimes answered, but Peter ignored the little fairy.
"Oh, I don't know," I replied. "Maybe a few years. I'll visit my family every now and then, but I'll be honest with you. I don't know if it's the right choice, but I don't want to grow up. I want to stay carefree and have fun. I know I'll be sacrificing so many things, but it's what I really want. Could I stay forever? Maybe?"
Peter's face lit up."Of course you can! It would be wonderful!" And, to Tinkerbell's great dislike, I hugged him so hard that he reddened like a beetroot and almost fell out of the sky. He took my hand again and said, "Then I suppose I'll show you our hideout that I share with the lost boys."

What do you think? What would you do or say if Peter Pan came knocking at your window one night and asked you to come to NeverLand with him?

Please answer in the comments box below. It would be great to hear what your reaction would be.

6 comments:

Sarah! I love this question of yours. It really gets readers intrigued. Well I guess I would love to stay forever young as well. But sometimes, I do want to grow up. Stop being treated as a kid. A kid that is always told what to do. A kid that can never grow up one day and be independent to face the challenges ahead of him. I think growing up is one of the neatest things in life. It's what every kid looks forward to, I guess.;)...But, when you are old, you wish you could take a time machine, and zap yourself back into the past. Those gleeful times! I think it depends on who you ask this question to. By the way, you are one of the most interesting writers, I've ever met. :)

Hi Sara, Mr. Raisdana sent me a link to this post and I read it this morning. I love it! Beautifully written and I could imagine the whole scene so vividly. My brother and I were huge fans of Peter Pan about six years ago :) all these stories and movies seemed so magical back then.

When I was little, I did look forward to growing up and being independent, but I definitely miss all the fantasies and bedtime stories, such as Peter Pan. No matter how old I get, Peter Pan will always be one of my favorites!

Sarah, I read some of your posts and you blew me away with your writing skills :) this post is one of my favorites because I am a big fan of this book "peter pan". Every time I read this book when I was a little kid, I always wished that Peter Pan would come for me one day, which now when I look back, it makes me laugh how gullible and silly I was :) hope you keep posting because I really enjoy reading your posts.